We woke up this morning to bright sunny skies. Opening the door brought the quick realization that there was a price to pay with the temperature. I'm not sure exactly what the temperature was but it would only have had 1 digit. It didn't warm up and the sun went away.
After doing some laundry we went to a local garage to have the right headlight checked. Yesterday it seemed that we were operating with only one. It turned out to be just loose and that was remedied. Then we asked the mechanic to check the right side backup light. Apparently, you only need one backup light here. News to us but there you go. Then he checked and topped up our oil, using the supply we carry with us. This little car is thirsty for oil. Some conversation followed but I admit to understanding little of it. I have no idea where this mechanic lives but his accent was so thick and his speech so fast I would have appreciated an interpreter. I understood about 20% of what he said.
We went with him into the office to settle the bill and ended up in another conversation with the office manager. We understood every word she said and she understood the mechanic. In the end, there was no bill to pay - no parts were installed and the oil was our own. We didn't have to pay for the time spent on the job. Wow - if only that were the case at home.
After getting the suggestion of Antoinette's cafe for lunch we set out according to the directions we got. The drive from the garage to the parking lot was "a one-way system" but you have to be in the correct lane. I wasn't and when I should have turned right into a parking lot, I couldn't. Simple fix - drive around the block. Not so fast. This block seemed endless and involved a couple too many turns but we came upon a parking lot that we thought was the other side of the lot we'd missed. Nope. The first pay and display machine rejected our coins. It would not take bills or a credit card. The second machine was more receptive.
We set out to find Antoinette's. Eventually, we did and at that point knew we'd parked in the wrong lot. Oh well - extra steps for the day. Lunch was fine if not spectacular.
There are no tour buses operating at the moment because of Covid and they have not determined the processes required, so we opted for a walking tour of Derry. We found one that was oriented towards the history of the city. This included why it was originally something like Daoire, then Derry then Londonderry. Call it what you will it's the only completely walled city in Ireland. The walls are original but the surface has been upgraded over time.
There were only about 8 of us in the group and the guide was excellent. We walked on the walls which are wider than some streets, saw various cathedrals and learned their stories, and got a bit of a lesson on The Troubles and how that all started. Things are much better now in this city, with cooperation for the most part between Protestants and Catholics.
The guide walked us back to where the tour had started so we could find our car. He was giving another tour shortly after we left him. Given that it was now about 3:40 we decided to try to get ahead of rush hour. That mostly worked. I only missed one exit of a roundabout and had to re-drive the route to get the right one. Then we were held up by an accident, but at least it didn't involve us.
The rain started just after we started home so all in all it was a good day. We'd been here for about 15 minutes when the host reported that I'd left the car lights on. I did remember turning them off but went out in the rain to check. Only one of the driving lights was on, the lights were in fact turned off. I tried every combination I could think of and that light would not go off. Finally, I realized that the left turn signal was on. We'd made a sharp left turn to park here and I turned off the car before realizing the signal was still on. Once I turned that off, all was well.
A quiet evening is planned. We haven't done anything about supper but soup is the likely choice. It's cold and wet out and we have no idea if any places around here deliver. Whatever we eat will involve whatever's in the house now. And thus ends another day. No photos today.
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